The city of Ludlow will soon send citations to rental property owners who have not paid their annual license fee of $100.
At least 50 unpaid license fees are outstanding, and May 15 is the cutoff date to make late payments before citations are given. Citations are $100 per day until paid and will eventually turn into a lien if not addressed.
In March, the code enforcement department sends an application with a reminder letter to pay by mid-April. A second notice was also sent.
“We are always gonna give somebody a chance, or a second chance,” said code enforcement officer Jamie West. “The city is not in the business to cite folks. This is not a money maker for us.”
Managing citations is time-consuming, West said, but he said it is important to comply with city ordinances. It is common for cities to have rental license fees.
“Part of what we do here is to educate the homeowners,” West said. “Maybe they don’t know some of the ordinances.”
Some properties are owned by people living outside of Ludlow who may not be as passionate about the city, he said.
Ordinances can be found on the city’s website.